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IU Maurer School of Law inducts five as Academy of Law Alumni Fellows

Published: Thursday,
March 31,
2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 31, 2011

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Five Indiana University Maurer School of Law alumni will be inducted today (April 1) into the school's Academy of Law Alumni Fellows. Induction into the academy is the highest honor the law school can bestow on its graduates.

The academy consists of an elite group that includes U.S. senators, federal judges, successful business leaders and distinguished practitioners. Each brings honor to the legal profession and enhances the Maurer School of Law's national and global reputation. The 2011 inductees include a former U.S. attorney, a civic leader and entrepreneur, an accomplished corporate lawyer, an NFL labor lawyer and a distinguished legal scholar.

"Our newest additions to the Academy of Law Alumni Fellows have achieved success in a number of professions," said Lauren Robel, dean and Val Nolan Professor of Law. "The inductees also have gone above and beyond to use their talents to make the world a better place. We are honored to call them alumni of our school."

The 2011 Academy of Law Alumni Fellows are:

K. Edwin Applegate, LLB'48

For more than 65 years, K. Edwin Applegate has been a committed leader and public servant to the state of Indiana and to his country. A World War II veteran, he opened his first law firm in Bloomington in 1949 and retired from Applegate, McDonald and Associates in 2011. Applegate has a distinguished record of public service, serving from 1951-1958 as U.S. Commissioner, Southern District of Indiana; from 1958-1965 as Deputy Prosecutor for Monroe County and Municipal Judge for Bloomington; and in 1965 as a representative in the Indiana General Assembly, where he was primary author of the bill that established Ivy Tech Community College. In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed him as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, a position he held until 1970. Applegate has been an active civic leader, including serving as president of the IU Varsity Club and on numerous boards of directors in Bloomington and Monroe County.

Stephen L. Ferguson, JD'66

Stephen L. Ferguson has enjoyed a long, varied and successful career in law, business, and public service, making him a pillar of the Bloomington community. An Order of the Coif graduate of the Law School, Ferguson was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 1966, serving four terms while establishing a law practice in Bloomington. As president of CFC Inc., Ferguson has been actively involved in the preservation and rebirth of downtown Bloomington. He also has played a key role in the growth of Cook Medical, an internationally known leader in the medical devices industry. In addition to serving as attorney for the company, he has been chairman and chief operating officer of its parent, Cook Group Inc., and has been responsible for renovation and operation of the historic French Lick Resort. Ferguson has been elected or appointed to the boards of directors of many organizations, including serving 12 years on the IU Board of Trustees, four of them as president. He also has been active in FDA reform, and has been named a Sagamore of the Wabash by three Indiana governors.

R. Neil Irwin, JD'71

R. Neil Irwin is a highly respected counsel to diverse corporate clients, a prodigious business producer for his firm, and a recognized leader in the Phoenix community.

Raised on an Indiana farm, he served in the U.S. Army before attending the law school, where he was elected to Order of the Coif and served on the Indiana Law Journal.

The senior partner in the Phoenix office of the international law firm Bryan Cave LLP, Irwin has been instrumental in establishing public company relationships in diverse industries, including vehicle rentals, healthcare insurance, renewable energy, and retail sales. He also has been involved in key business and civic organizations that have brought employment, educational and cultural venues, and improved civic infrastructure to the Phoenix region. He is a member of the Maurer School of Law's Board of Visitors.

Rapheal M. Prevot Jr., JD'84 (posthumously)

Rapheal M. Prevot Jr., had a distinguished career as an attorney and served Indiana Law as a vigorous volunteer and advocate. He served for more than 15 years as labor relations counsel for the National Football League in New York. Previously, he was assistant attorney in the Dade County, Fla., State Attorney's Office, and a litigation attorney at Adorno & Zeder, a Florida law firm. Prevot was a dedicated member of the National Bar Association and was inducted into the Entertainment, Sports and Art Law section of its Hall of Fame. Despite living on the East Coast, Prevot was a diligent and active member of the Maurer School's Alumni Board beginning in 1993 and on the Board of Visitors since 1997, where he was elected the youngest president in board history. With his untimely death in 2008 at 49, the legal community lost a dedicated and talented professional.

Martha S. West, JD'74

Martha S. West is a distinguished legal scholar and professor and tireless advocate for women in many walks of life. Her interest in women's equality began while she was a student at the IU Maurer School of Law, where she organized the Women's Caucus and developed a course on women and law. After graduating, West clerked for Judge Jesse Eschbach and then joined Ice Miller in Indianapolis, practicing labor and employment law for three years. From 1979-1982 she represented Indiana Chrysler workers at UAW Legal Services. West joined the University of California Davis Law School faculty in 1982, where she taught labor law, employment discrimination and sex-based discrimination for 25 years. In 1998 she founded the Family Protection Clinic to provide family law representation for battered women and their children. After retiring, West served as general counsel for the American Association of University Professors from 2008 to 2010. She continues to lecture widely on issues relevant to women in education and work-life balance.